SENATE FILE 312

BY  COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

(SUCCESSOR TO SF 9)

(As Amended and Passed by the Senate 2011-03-21)

A BILL FOR

An Act concerning special motor vehicle registration plates, including registration plates issued for business-trade trucks and special trucks, creating new combat infantryman badge, combat action badge, combat action ribbon, and combat medical badge registration plates, and including effective date and applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

DIVISION I

BUSINESS-TRADE AND SPECIAL TRUCKS —— REGISTRATION PLATES
   Section 1.  Section 321.34, subsection 10, paragraph b, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   b.  The application shall be approved by the department in consultation with representatives designated by the Iowa fire fighters’ associations, and the special registration plates shall be issued to the applicant in exchange for the registration plates previously issued to the person.  An applicant who is the owner of a business-trade truck or special truck shall not be issued special fire fighter registration plates for more than one vehicle.The fee for the special plates is twenty-five dollars which shall be paid in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The department shall validate the special plates in the same manner as regular registration plates are validated under this section at the regular annual registration fee.
   Sec. 2.  Section 321.120, subsection 3, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   3.  Upon approval of the application and payment of the proper fees, the county treasurer shall issue regular registration plates for thevehicle which distinguish the vehicle as a business-trade truck.  The department may adopt rules requiring the use of a sticker or other means to identify motor vehicles registered under this section.
   Sec. 3.  Section 321.121, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  1A.  Upon approval of the application and payment of the proper fees, the county treasurer shall issue regular registration plates for the special truck. The department may adopt rules requiring the use of a sticker or other means to identify motor vehicles registered under this section.
   Sec. 4.  PHASED-IN ELIMINATION OF BUSINESS-TRADE TRUCK AND SPECIAL TRUCK PLATES.
   1.  It is the intent of the general assembly that the owners of business-trade trucks and special trucks have access to any of the specialty registration plates issued under section 321.34 under the same terms and conditions that apply to owners of other motor vehicles under that section, except that the issuance of special fire fighter plates shall be subject to the limitation imposed under section 321.34, subsection 10, as amended in this Act.
   2.  By January 1, 2012, the department of transportation shall discontinue the practice of issuing business-trade truck registration plates and special truck registration plates, and shall instead provide regular registration plates for new business-trade truck and special truck registrations. Current requirements and fees for business-trade truck and special truck registrations continue to apply. In conjunction with the transition to the issuance of regular registration plates for business-trade and special trucks, the following registration practices shall apply:
   a.  Except as provided in paragraph “b”, current owners of vehicles with business-trade or special truck plates shall continue to use those plates until ownership of the vehicle is transferred or until a new series of Iowa registration plates is issued by the department of transportation.
   b.  The owner of a motor vehicle with current business-trade truck plates or special truck plates may elect to be issued specialty plates in lieu of the current registration plates for the vehicle, subject to the terms and conditions applicable under section 321.34. 
   c.  The owner of a motor vehicle being registered for the first time as a business-trade truck or special truck may elect to be issued specialty plates in lieu of regular registration plates, subject to the terms and conditions applicable under section 321.34.
   Sec. 5.  APPLICABILITY.  This division of this Act applies for registration plates issued during registration periods beginning on or after January 1, 2012.

DIVISION II

NEW SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES
   Sec. 6.  Section 35A.11, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  8A.  Combat infantryman badge, combat action badge, combat action ribbon, and combat medical badge plates issued pursuant to section 321.34, subsection 20C.
   Sec. 7.  Section 321.34, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  20C.  Combat infantryman badge, combat action badge, combat action ribbon, and combat medical badge plates.
   a.  An owner referred to in subsection 12 who was awarded a combat infantryman badge, combat action badge, combat action ribbon, or combat medical badge by the United States government may, upon written application to the department and presentation of satisfactory proof of the award, order special registration plates with a combat infantryman badge, combat action badge, combat action ribbon, or combat medical badge processed emblem. The emblems shall be designed by the department in consultation with the adjutant general. The special plate fees collected by the director under subsection 12, paragraphs“a” and “c”, from the issuance and annual validation of letter-number designated and personalized combat infantryman badge, combat action badge, combat action ribbon, and combat medical badge plates shall be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. The treasurer of state shall transfer monthly from the statutory allocations fund created under section 321.145, subsection 2, to the veterans license fee fund created in section 35A.11 the amount of the special fees collected under subsection 12, paragraph “a”, in the previous month for combat infantryman badge, combat action badge, combat action ribbon, and combat medical badge plates.
   b.  The surviving spouse of a person who was issued special plates under this subsection may continue to use or apply for and use the special plates subject to registration of the special plates in the surviving spouse’s name and upon payment of the annual five-dollar special plate fee and the regular annual registration fee for the vehicle. If the surviving spouse remarries, the surviving spouse shall return the special plates to the department and the department shall issue regular registration plates to the surviving spouse.
   Sec. 8.  Section 321.145, subsection 2, paragraph b, subparagraph (3), Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   (3)  The amounts required to be transferred pursuant to section 321.34 from revenues available under this subsection shall be transferred and credited as provided in section 321.34, subsections 7, 10, 10A, 11, 11A, 11B, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 21, 22, 23, and 24 for the various purposes specified in those subsections.
   Sec. 9.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This division of this Act takes effect January 1, 2012.